Proceed With Caution
by XxByakuraixX
Summary: Kagame Kyra never had a purpose in life and was only used for her intense chakra and power. Now that power has attracted the attention of the Akatsuki in hopes they can tame and control this power for themselves. But Uchiha Itachi is no fool. Rated M for violence/gore, language, lemon. (Edited)
1. A Dangerous Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not in any way shape or form own Naruto! Never have sadly never will! All characters are the property of Mashashi Kishimoto. Kyra Kagame however is my OC so I do own her but that's it.  
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_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

It was early in the afternoon and rain clouds covered the sky above. Light drizzle showered down on the two figures walking solemnly down the dirt path, their black and crimson cloaks flapping lightly in the breeze behind them. From underneath his straw hat, a young man looked out at the long stretch of road ahead. It had been several days since they'd been back at the hideout, and already they'd entered into the Land of Fire. At this rate, they'd be heading straight for Konoha. It wasn't as if the thought bothered the taciturn male, but it did manage to make him uneasy. An uneasiness that stemmed from unpleasant memories, not fear. He did not fear anyone left in Konoha, for he had no reason to be scared of anything. Fear was not allowed, it was a weakness he'd refused to succumb to from an early age. In fact, it was more common that he be feared – not the other way around.

Currently, he and his partner were tracking a rather slippery individual. Pein had been tracking the kunoichi's whereabouts for almost a full year now after receiving intel about her powers from one of Sasori's spies. As far as they knew, she was a highly skilled ninja that had the ability and strength to bring down an entire clan of shinobi if she so chose. Pein's intel indicated that her ability had not been natural; a result of human experimentation in a similar style to Orochimaru. However, no matter what abilities she had, the true test of her strength would come from their first encounter. They were told to bring her back _alive_, for without her life her powers would be rendered useless.

"We're close." Itachi mumbled, gazing back up at the sky and watching as grey clouds grew darker. Despite Pein's notion that this girl's powers were entirely manufactured, the Uchiha had reason to believe that wasn't the case. Whenever they had grown close to locating her, it always seemed to rain. Maybe it was a coincidence, but somehow he knew that couldn't be true. Kisame could feel it too, stopping for a moment a couple feet in front of Itachi and looking up as well. He had a natural affinity for water, so Itachi knew to trust his instincts more than his own. Kisame stretched out his shark-like hand, watching with narrowed eyes as the droplets hit the surface of his blue skin.

"Mmm. We are. I can feel a chakra source due North of here. We should proceed with caution, not sure what we're up against here."

"It's a young girl. Leave her alive, it's simple." Itachi flexed his ring hand at his side, tipping his hat back down and continuing past Kisame. He could feel the chakra too, and it was unlikely to be anyone else this deep in the wood. Apparently, this one didn't like to be around people, as they'd tracked her through all the farthest corners of the country. After only a few minutes, Itachi stopped once more. He formed four hand-seals and released two scouting crows to send above the treetops. They squawked and batted their wings as they soared up into the stormy sky, and he wasted no time in connecting his Sharingan with their vision. From what he could see through the storm, they were only thirty minutes away from the outer wall of Konoha and no guards were posted. As they circled above the area where he'd last felt the chakra source, he spotted the slightest flash of clothing behind a tree only ten or so feet from where they were currently located.

Maybe she was going to find them.

A ghost of a smirk curled up his lips as he disconnected from his scouts, looking out into the darkened foliage in front of them. He raised a hand of warning towards Kisame, who reached behind his back and gripped Samehada tightly. With two fingers still raised and sitting in silence, Itachi listened. From the left, a twig cracked lightly – too lightly to be a person. Whoever this girl was, she was stealthy. And it seemed as if she'd caught onto her followers. But there was no way he'd allow the upper hand to be taken from him. Not Uchiha Itachi. "Flush her out. Quietly." Itachi mumbled, lowering his hand. Kisame chuckled lightly and released Samehada, pressing his palms together in front of him and then his right into the puddle below his feet. "Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks Jutsu!" From the puddle, five giant sharks formed entirely from water came shooting out and flew into the forest. As they created a perimeter, Kisame grabbed onto Samehada once more and resumed his usual boisterousness.

"Come on out, little girl. We won't bite. Well, I might." He snickered, lowering Samehada in front of him. "Just here to talk, you know? No need to be so afraid."

Kyra could sense the ninja following her. It was actually really easy for her to detect them, one had such a heavy step she could have heard him for miles. Thunder rumbled over her as rain showered on her white-blonde hair, making it stick to her face. _Why didn't I leave my hood up?_ Rain seemed to follow her wherever she went, especially when she felt threatened, like she did now. Mild sparks flashed around her chest, attracting to a metal disc implanted in her skin, warning her to calm herself before the worst happened. _Don't lose it Kyra. You know what will happen if you lose it_. She took in a sharp breath and gazed upward at two crows soaring above her. _So that's how they're following me._

She smirked and leapt across the forest, hoping to evade them. She didn't want trouble and she didn't need it. She didn't have time for it, the rolling thunder and ache in her chest told her that. Her foot lightly cracked on a twig, giving away her position and making her freeze. Kyra cursed it might have been a very faint sound but they were sure to have heard it. She hid herself behind a tree, out of sight from the two ninja in black and crimson cloaks. Their faces concealed under straw hats, making her uneasy. What do they want? Kyra couldn't help but wonder. Most people avoided her, well she avoided them but no one had ever tracked her down as these two men had. Did they not understand the danger they were in? Quickly and evasively, Kyra dashed off to flee, pushing her legs as hard as she could. Getting away was the only option. The disc in her chest was pulsing, producing more than just mere sparks now, but surges of white electricity. The beginning of the Byakurai and once it got to this point there was no stopping it. Now getting away was much more of an urgency but her body smashed into a wall of water. What the hell? She cursed as the ninja called out to her, ordering her to show herself.

Were they insane? Did they not get it? Of course not! They had no idea what they were getting into. "Go away!" she shouted, holding onto the disc, desperately trying to hold the lightning inside but to no avail. Once it escaped, the electricity coursed through her entire body, and sent a jolt at the barrier of water to break it.  
Her heart was pumping too fast for her to recall. More surges spurred outward into the foliage, her body was consumed by raging static. It was happening. Her power was trying to take over.

"PLEASE GO AWAY!" She begged and threw herself back in a desperate attempt to subdue herself. She couldn't take the pain of the Byakurai, the knowledge that she killed again, it was too much, she vowed to run for the rest of her life if she had to in order to withhold her curse, there was no other way. Kyra stumbled to her feet, suddenly disoriented and made a run for it, but the water barrier was back, as if her attack had no affect on it. _Dammit!_ Rain drenched over her body, the lightning was raging through her, making her head go blank. The only thing she could do was keep running, not even knowing where she was going, she just needed to get out! Kyra managed to escape from the woods, only to collide with a body and crash to the ground.  
There was no escape for her, nor was there any hope for them. Kyra faced the bright red eyes of the man she was going to end up killing in about three seconds.  
"PLEASE! GET AWAY!"

A thunderous roar erupted in the darkened woods shortly after Kisame released his jutsu, the sound of which peaked Itachi's curiousity ten-fold. This was the power Pein had spoke of, the immeasurable amount of pure energy that this girl was apparently able to call upon. He watched as monstrous sparks erupted from the foliage, and a shrill shriek boomed from within. Itachi caught the corner of Kisame's gaze, who, equally confused, watched the spectacle with unsure eyes. They had done absolutely nothing but create a perimeter, and yet this power had erupted within seconds. It was no wonder she was choosing to remain aloof; if this was a daily occurrence… he couldn't even begin to think how many people she'd accidentally slaughtered. Pein liked to believe that the motto of the organization was no mercy; therefore this girl would fit perfectly into his ideal. However, Itachi felt something entirely different from this situation. Obviously it was a power that was hard to control, difficult even more so when presented with a possibly dangerous situation. Furthermore, when a figure came bursting from the woods and collided with the front of his form, Itachi barely flinched as these thoughts resonated in his mind.

_She's lost._

He glanced down as the blonde looked up, speaking to him with an impending urgency that entailed the worst of her power had yet to come. His belief was verified at that moment, this was not something that could be controlled. Not yet. Staring down at her through his three-pronged Sharingan, the young Uchiha debated activating his Tsukyomi and resolving this situation until they'd transported her body back to headquarters. But something deep within the fabric of his conscience told him this was a bad idea – that there was an easier way of handling this. In one fluid movement, Itachi bent down on one knee in front of her and pressed one of his hands to her forehead. Using his stored chakra, he closed his eyes and forced the brunt of her power back inward. Although his paired Sharingan were closed on the outside, his internal ability to see beyond the situation allowed him to examine exactly what they were dealing with. A series of metal plates and rods ran through her system like chakra receivers, but there was no obvious source of power. The sheer force of her chakra had forced him to push harder than usual, but within a few moments the deed was done. Static ceased to electrify the pathway surrounding them, and the young Uchiha had done exactly what he'd hoped to do. The look of astonishment on her pale face had said enough.

Removing his hand from her forehead, Itachi opened his eyes slowly and stared deeply into her brown orbs. "If you haven't already noticed, we've been following you" As he spoke, he pulled a small black box from his cloak pocket. "We are members of Akatsuki, an organization with the purpose of changing this world forever. Your powers could prove to be an asset to our plans." He shoved the box into her feeble hands and rose to his feet, glancing over to Kisame who seemed quite intrigued by the scene before him. "That is a ring, signifying your position within our group. We suspect there will be no rebuttal to our proposal. If there is, your final option is death. There is no escaping this, so relax yourself."

Kyra stared down at the little black box that was forced into her hands. This red-eyed man didn't give her much of a choice, join this organization, or die. Could she do this? The cloaked men waited for her answer, and she didn't have one. Even if she did join this group, even if she agreed to go with them, they couldn't stop her power. She'd kill them all, she didn't want this, she never wanted this. Kyra shot her eyes away from the box, clutching it with all her might as she thought about it and thought hard.

"We don't have all day girl, you need some convincing?" the shark man raised a giant bandaged sword over his head and swooped it down to her face. Kyra gulped at the squirming weapon aimed between her eyes. Her breath hitched as she tried to back away, but she had nowhere to go.

"Kisame." The red-eyed man warned.

Kisame mumbled something and withdrew his sword, swinging it up behind his back, glowering at her through pale grey-blue eyes.

Kyra was frozen on the ground, for the first time ever she was completely defenseless. She never felt so weak, not since the day her father cast her away from the Land of Lightning and separated her from her little brother. After all that time, she wandered from place to place, just focusing on surviving in the wild but she was a harbinger of death. There was a reason she was named Kyra. No matter where she went, no matter how much she tried to control herself, the Byakurai took over and she would kill hundreds of innocent people. Even if she stood up, put the ring on her finger and became a member of Akatsuki, that wouldn't change.  
These two men in front of her would never be able to help her, no one could. Even her father, the man who turned her into the monstrosity that she was gave up on his own child and abandoned her, left her in the woods to die. Perhaps this choice was meant to be Kyra's realization that she didn't deserve to be in this world. Every monster needed to be put down.

"Itachi can I hack her limbs now? I'm getting very impatient!" Kisame flashed a toothy grin, taking a firm grip on his sword's handle.

Kyra rose up to her feet, allowing her eyes to flood with tears and she pushed the box back into Itachi. Her heart was filled with fear, even though she made her choice, she was still afraid. But this was the only way. There was no redemption, no hope, no retribution for her. "Fine," she sobbed locking her eyes to her feet as her hands shook. "Kill me."

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**A/N: Hey guys so I know I published this before and then I deleted it because I wasn't too happy with it. Anyway I have edited it so now I think and hope it's much better than before and hopefully you guys like it too! **

_Also Byakurai is Japanese for "White Lightning" for anyone who didn't know and the name Kira translates to "killer" I spell it Kyra because I prefer it that way I'm not sure if that completely alters the meaning of the word but for the sake of argument let's just say it doesn't (I'm sure it does but shhh!)_

**Alright enough from me! Please R&R because I love to hear from you guys!**


	2. A Reason to Live

_Nii-san… why? __Why are you doing this?! __No… Mom… Dad… No! __BASTARD!_

"Only cowards wish for their own death," Itachi's voice broke through her sobs, and he grabbed the box to only push it right back in her hands. "You feel as if you have no purpose, no reason for being. But there is always a reason, no matter the circumstance." The look in her eyes and the desperation in her voice reminded him so much of his Sasuke – too much of memories long past. Her timid personality at this very moment almost shook him, and there wasn't much that existed in this world that could shake his composure. Having a power so fearful, so trembling, it was no wonder that she'd simply chose his alternative. It wasn't as if he and Kisame could have acted on that promise, Pein told them specifically that she needed to be alive. Still, the fact that she'd pleaded with his latter option was very revealing to her true character. She was scared, lost, overwhelmed by a power that was almost too much to control. It must have been terrifying. Shisui, his once best friend, had felt the same pressure when they were younger. He'd been the bearer of one of the rarest ocular jutsu in existence, and that fact alone had cost him his life. Pein and the Akatsuki may have had no sympathy for fools, for feelings and those who felt real pain… but he did. Previous circumstances allowed him to relate to this very feeling.

"I want you to relax. Now." His voice had softened a tone, but still remained stiff as he looked down at her bowed head. Raising the two fingers on his right hand, Itachi tilted her chin up and forced her to look into his eyes. It wasn't technically cheating if he activated a genjutsu that would soothe her troubles, if only a little. Besides, Kisame would continue to be problematic and succumb to her wishes if he didn't. The three rings in his eye spun wildly as he pushed her into a genjutsu that merely calmed her anxious heart, hoping that she would see the error of her judgment in due time.

"You have unique powers. I can teach you how to control yourself, how to stay calm in the face of true peril," He spoke to only her now, phasing Kisame from the situation entirely by entering the genjutsu he'd set in her mind. "I've been instructed to bring you back alive, and that is my goal. We all have a reason for being, be it one person or one hundred. I will offer you this; come with us and I can teach you how to be a true ninja. Deny me again and the consequences will be severe."

She felt so...calm. She could literally feel her quickened heart rate slow to it's steady rhythm. He called her a coward, and maybe he was right, maybe she really was a coward to beg for her death. Yet Kyra wondered why she was so important alive, she couldn't think of a soul who wouldn't have taken her up on her plea. So why didn't he just kill her? Surely it would have been easier than the task he had taken on. Opening the box, Kyra took the silver ring with a black stone and a white kanji for death engraved in the middle and slipped the ring onto her middle finger. How much could this organization know about her to give her a ring that literally said death? Itachi was spot on about everything he said about her, she had no purpose in life, no reason for being. Yet his words echoed in the depths of her mind, she did have a reason for being here, there was a purpose she had to serve and maybe Itachi was the one to help her find it.

Tears still flowing down her face she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Kyra couldn't help but feel grateful to this stranger who she just met, who she just asked to end her life for giving her a reason to live. Maybe Akatsuki was the answer for her.

"Let's get moving," Kisame grumbled, shooting her a glare. Kyra could tell that he was still anxious to swing that sword of his in her direction. She gulped under the intensity of his sneer which turned to a sharp grin. "Don't look so scared brat, or you _won't_ survive much longer," he snickered and took off while she followed with Itachi. Maybe she'd end up getting killed too. At this point, she really had no idea what to think, but anything would be better than the life she was living.

Kyra turned her head to Itachi, muttering the words out loud but unsure if he had heard them: "Thank you."

They had been walking for several hours now, and during that time not more than three words had been spoken. It wasn't as if Itachi minded, in all honesty he preferred to walk in silence – he and Kisame usually did just that. However with this new addition, the tension in the air couldn't be thicker. Kisame kept his pace in front of them, leaving him and the girl now known to him as "Kyra" behind. After her mumbled words of thanks earlier on, Itachi had been contemplating her true character. If she was as lethal as Pein had lead him to believe, why would she speak such words of kindness? It was puzzling, but there wasn't much time to dwell. Through the deep mist ahead, the forefront of their mountainside base came murkily into view. Built into the side of the enormous mountain, it was buried deep within the untamed woods of No Man's land – the area that shinobi nations had abandoned after the Second Great War. It was a very intelligent choice on their founders part, and large enough to contain the Gedo Mazo effectively. Their plans were finally being set into motion; Kyra was only just about to grasp the gravity of her current situation. On one hand, the elder Uchiha felt somewhat responsible for this girl. She had begged for death, a luxury he'd been permitted to deliver, but he didn't. He had convinced her that life within the Akatsuki was better than death, offered to teach her control… then again, perhaps it was her fault for trusting him.

"We're here." Kisame mumbled, approaching the loose looking stone that hung outside the base. He raised Samehada and touched the surface, entangling his chakra into the beast of a weapon. Permission to enter would only be granted by those who had paid their price in blood for the Akatsuki. Ingenious. Too bad Danzo hadn't implemented more of these strategies while leading the ANBU Black Ops; maybe then he wouldn't have been such a failure for the seat of Hokage. Not like Itachi cared anymore, thinking too much about the Hidden Leaf was essentially suicide. He had done his part.

As the stone face reorganized itself to allow them passage, Itachi motioned for Kyra to stay close to his side. Knowing the other more "unapathetic" members, she was in for a bit of trouble right from the get-go. It was better to keep her close until Pein had his say.

When they entered the mountain, Itachi pulled a lever on his right side in the dark that activated the lights. Six dome lights flicked on in sequence before them, illuminating a long pathway with two doors at the end. One lead to upper chamber where Pein took residence during his time here, while the lower chamber served as the rest of the hideout. They made their way through the first door and up a spiral staircase carved from stone, all the while Itachi kept his hindsight on Kyra. When he noticed she was looking unusually pale, he finally decided to speak. "You'll be meeting with our leader. He wishes to address you before Kisame and myself inform you of our current operative. You'll be working alongside the both of us for the duration of your time here, as far as I'm aware." He glanced towards her as they reached the top of the stairs, giving a small nod to Kisame who leaned up against the stonewall beside the door.

Itachi rapped twice with his forefinger, moving towards a slate made in the iron door. "We've brought her." He mumbled. There were several clicks on the other side of the door, and the locks deactivated themselves to allow them access. Itachi pushed the door open slowly, allowing Kyra to enter first.

He had no idea what to expect.

Kyra wanted to do nothing more than curl into a ball and hide. This place was scary and as much as she liked to think she had nothing to fear, the feeling of dread set deep within her heart was warning her. She was so used to running, it came to no surprise that all she wanted was to run as far away as she could from this place.

Itachi explained everything, and she understood clearly, she was about to meet the leader of this organization. Her feet felt as heavy as lead when she arrived at the metal door. What was she thinking agreeing to do this? Was this really her purpose? She gulped and focused on moving one foot in front of the other, meeting the haunting gaze of a man with the most interesting and intimidating eyes she'd ever seen. The whole eye was purple and had rings extending outward from the pupil. He had a whole bunch of piercings on his face and wore the same cloak as Itachi and Kisame. Kyra clung her own dark purple cloak to her chest. Her heart was going too fast, she couldn't stare at this man for too long, he was far too intimidating.

"There's no need to be so afraid of me," his voice rang out like an icy chill. It had enough power to make Kyra shiver. "So you're the one who can summon a power so great it can wipe out an entire nation?"

Kyra bit her lip and turned back to Itachi, almost looking for his guidance, she was completely unsure of what to say to this ginger-haired, pierced man. Itachi simply nodded as a way of saying it was okay to answer him. "I-I-It's not something I would ever do if I had a choice." She mumbled, her voice was broken, filled with fear.

"If you had a choice?" he raised a brow and folded his arms, an unamused expression set deep within his lifeless ringed orbs.

Kyra gulped. "I-I don't control it. I-I don't know how."

"Rather it controls you…interesting." The leader crossed over to her and proceeded to take the cloak that guarded her misshapen figure from around her shoulders.

Kyra retreated into Itachi, barely breathing; she grabbed his wrist in urgency, but he didn't seem to respond. "Please don't," she begged but the leader didn't listen and pulled the cloak away, revealing all the plates and bars that her shirt didn't cover. She never felt so vulnerable; she might as well have been standing naked in front of him because that's exactly how this compared. Her teeth clenched down on her lip until she tasted blood, her arm barricaded the metal disc that protruded from her chest. She never allowed herself to be exposed like this and yet somehow this leader had managed to bring her down to nothing, exposing the monstrosity she tried so hard to hide. She felt her eyes water up but quickly fought her tears back. She refused to weaken herself any further than she already had.

"How do these things work?" he ordered, wrapping his hand around the conductor attached to her spine. She swore she could have broken Itachi's wrist if she grabbed onto him any harder, but he remained completely silent so she didn't let him go.

"I don't know! I was ten years old when my old man put these things in me! He never told me how it was supposed to work! All I can tell you is it attracts electricity like wildfire and then next thing you know everyone's dead!" she snapped, ripping her cloak out from the leader's arm and draping it back over her shoulders to conceal herself again.

The leader glowered at her. "I wouldn't make the mistake of talking back to me again. So it seems my Intel was wrong about you girl, you have no way to summon this power of yours at will and are therefore a ticking time bomb for destruction, is that about right?"

"Yes," Kyra didn't even try to deny it; there was no point in doing so. "But Itachi said he could teach me to control it, I thought you already knew that…" she trailed off wondering if she just said something she shouldn't have and ratted Itachi out. She looked back to at him but he showed no emotion of any kind within his deep now-onyx orbs. He was stern and composed, not letting anything take him off guard.

The leader averted his attention to Itachi. "Did he? Very well then, you will be traveling with him and Kisame until you have more control over yourself. Understood?"

Her grip got stronger and stronger around his wrist, but he didn't even flinch. The confrontation with Pein regarding her powers was exactly how he'd envisioned it, but only because he knew Pein's integrity and pride wouldn't allow him to succumb to a young girl's wishes. Itachi had no choice but to watch as he interrogated her, and he could quite clearly hear the displeasure in her voice. But he said nothing, because there was nothing to be said. Once she'd mentioned his offering to help her control the powers, he caught the look Pein had given him. For a very long time, Pein had been trying to second-guess his reasons for being in the Akatsuki and the true nature of _his_ character… but that secret would lie with the true mastermind behind this grand scheme, and nowhere else. Itachi couldn't afford to disassemble everything he'd worked so hard to achieve, the secrets he kept… it was none of Pein's business. But when he showed any sort of mercy, even at a time like this, Pein grew conscious of him once again. Itachi gave him no response but a nod of the head, knowing all too well that Pein was aware of his abilities. Not to boast, but they far exceeded anything he could possibly hope to achieve. If there was anyone who had hope for seeing this through to the end, it was he.

Pulling his wrist away from Kyra's hand, Itachi guided her back towards the entrance and turned to Pein once more. "Deidara and Sasori are heading to the Sand tomorrow morning. I trust everything has been arranged for the Two-Tails, as well."

"I left that to Kakuzu and Hidan." His back was already turned to them while he now faced a window on the far side of the room. "Speak with Tobi regarding specifics." With that, Itachi nodded briefly and opened the door for Kyra. Once they'd made their way down into the second doorway, Kisame separated from the two – mumbling something about getting his fill of salt water for the day – and that was that. It seemed he was in charge of her now; god forbid it was a babysitting mission. She seemed more intelligent than that.

Without a word, Itachi continued to lead her down a series of hallways until he came across a luxurious looking sitting room. There was a grand fireplace and massive scrolls lined the walls, and finely crafted wooden tables and chairs compromised the dining room. "This is the main area, a lot of planning that we do happens here. You can also use it at your leisure." He mumbled, opening a wooden door beside the entrance to the kitchen. Inside there was a large double poster bed with candles that illuminated the room around them. Itachi allowed her to step inside first before coming in afterwards and closing the door behind him. While she ogled the space before her, he made his way over to the closet and opened it.

"…Not quite prepared for female members, are we?" He mused to himself, unsatisfied by what he'd found in the closet. "I'll have Tobi go out and fetch you some things. There's a bathroom to your right, I'd suggest unwinding a bit before you have to meet the others." Running a hand through his raven bangs, Itachi began unbuttoning his own cloak and ultimately letting his guard down. The heat in here was always stifling, despite being in a mountain and having limited airflow. He brushed his ponytail back over his shoulders and folded the cloak over his forearm, revealing his pale black undershirt and toned arms.

"Are you alright?" Turning towards her, he raised a brow only mildly at her expression. "Don't worry about Pein. You'll work fine with Kisame and I."

**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think! **


	3. Meeting the Others

Kyra couldn't help but notice the sculpted figure she didn't know her comrade had. And he was so…handsome, how she failed to realize how good looking he was before was beyond her. Perhaps it was because only his eyes peered out from his cloak, this actually was the first time she saw his entire face. Although it was stifling in the room, Kyra didn't dare shed her cloak as he did. She was nowhere near as desirable. She was too skinny, and her bones poked out from under her skin. Since she never had a proper meal in years, she'd been forced to live off the forest, and sometimes the forest didn't have enough to offer. Usually she was starving. Then there was the whole other issue of the metal bars that made her that much more revolting. She soon realized she must have been staring at Itachi for too long when he questioned if she was okay.

Bringing her eyes to dark onyx orbs, framed in jet-black hair she answered with a nod. "I'm just gonna grab a shower." Kyra muttered oh so quietly and backed away into the bathroom and locking the door behind her. It'd been a long time since she'd had the leisure of a hot shower, and she planned on taking full advantage of it. Cranking the tap on, she waited for the water to steam before shedding her ragged clothes and stepping into the scalding water. A sigh escaped her lips as the steaming water rained over her frail body. It was so relaxing, it was definitely better than bathing in icy streams and lakes, she could have stayed in there forever. This is so nice...Kyra mused to herself, massaging shampoo into her tangled dirt infested hair. She couldn't even remember the last time she got to use shampoo  
The base of the shower pooled with a mix of brown tinted foam, dirt and grime that was once attached to her body and circled down the drain. Kyra frowned, she was more disgusting then she thought. Grabbing the loofah that hung carelessly on the shower head, she emptied the bottle of cherry scented body wash and scrubbed herself down until her skin turned red. By the time she'd thoroughly cleaned herself, she'd likely been in there for an hour. The metal attached to her began to heat up under the water's rising temperature until it began to burn against her skin. That was sign enough that she'd been in there for too long and with a sigh she turned the tap off, staring down at her beat red flesh.

Wrapping herself in a large towel, she padded out from the bathroom, poking her head out; making sure Itachi wasn't still standing in the room. Once it was all clear, she went for the closet and swung it open, frowning. Itachi was right, there really was nothing there. She threw on an oversized T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants that were way too big for her, even after she tied them up as tightly as she could. She towel dried her hair and adventured to locate a hairbrush…there was none. Were there really no other female members in this group? They had no clothes, no hairbrushes, nothing! But to be fair, Itachi had already told her they weren't prepared for a girl.

Staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror adjacent to the closet, Kyra compared her appearance to a drowned rat. Her waist length hair was wet and in tangles, her big brown eyes were probably too large for her face and the rest of her body was frail and bony underneath clothes that she could literally swim in. A knock sounded on the door, which Kyra reluctantly answered to and Itachi poked his face in, giving a small, barely noticeable smirk. This wasn't fair.

"Do I really have to meet more of you guys looking like this?" Kyra frowned.

Looking down at her now, Itachi wouldn't have guessed that she was the weapon he'd been lead to believe. With soaping wet hair and bright brown eyes, she looked like a puppy left out in the rain for far too long. And that wasn't meant to be an insult by any means; it was almost ironic comparing this look to the reality of her situation. When Pein had demanded to see her conductors, Itachi had seen the entire design. It was a cruel and sick thing for someone to do, even more so if it was her father as she had said. So when she pouted, obviously upset as she stood in Deidara's old workout clothes, he couldn't help but stifle a small laugh. It was a ridiculous sight.

"Tobi wants to meet you, then he'll go and fetch you some things. Also, don't be put off by his vibrant attitude." He half-smirked again, pushing open the door the entire way and revealing a brown bag folded in his right arm. "I assume you haven't eaten in quite a while. I brought you some rice balls and instant ramen." He glanced away for a brief second, scratching at his cheek while looking only slightly embarrassed. Even years after being separated from his life prior to this, there were some habits you could never shake. Even he'd learned to accept that. So even though he was going to give her some of his own food items (_which were in no way good for her, either_) he was sure they'd be better than the raw fish and freakishly religious foods he was accustomed to seeing. There's no way he'd share the dango, though. Not before, and definitely not now.

"Itachi, Itachi, is she there? Oh, hello there~!" From around Itachi's shoulder, a spiral orange mask popped up accompanied by a silly bob of black hair. Itachi twitched mentally, watching the man really behind the shadows act like a total idiot. "You must be Kyra-chan, yes? I'm Tobi, the newest member here! But not as new as you, I guess! It's nice to meet you, lightning lady!"

Itachi caught the gaze of Tobi's one eye through the hole, and he could tell that he was really looking Kyra over. In all honesty, it didn't matter if Pein was partial to her or not. It all depended on what Tobi desired. This would be a power that intrigued him though, he knew that much. Itachi could only imagine what was going through his head right now, despite his always obnoxious entrances…

The lightning lady? Kyra stared up at the guy in an orange mask who called himself Tobi. He was a total doofus, how the hell was he allowed in this group? Then again Kyra couldn't really be one to talk, she had no control over her power and didn't even know what kinds of power Tobi possessed. He could be a real mastermind. Pffpht! Right! Kyra smiled at the masked man and held out her hand in response. "Nice to meet you too Tobi."

After shaking her hand Tobi clapped his hands once. "Ooo you hear that Itachi? She likes me! I'm so glad! Hmm…she's really skinny Itachi, I don't know if I'll be able to find any clothes that fit her right, but don't worry Kyra-chan will be absolutely stunning once I get her out of Deidara-sempai's workout clothes." Tobi dashed off like a hyperactive little boy and was out of sight. Kyra smiled and then erupted in laughter, she couldn't even remember the last time she laughed and now she couldn't stop. Tobi was an absolute riot. If all the other members were as nice as he was, she'd have no problems getting along here.

After wolfing down the rice balls Itachi gave her, her stomach churned, ordering her to race for the bathroom to throw it up. _Dammit!_ she cursed, as her stomach heaved again, she'd eaten too fast and her body just couldn't handle it. She didn't even realize Itachi was right behind her the whole time with a glass of water on hand. He must have been swift on his feet, Kyra thought as she took the glass from him and gulped it down, feeling her stomach churn again. She set what was left of the ramen on her bedside table and would try getting back to it later. For now, she would keep her stomach empty and meet the remainder of this gang.  
Kyra felt like the smallest person in the world as she faced the four remaining men of Akatsuki and Kisame with his giant ass sword.

"So you're the new girl, hmm?" asked a young guy about her age with long blonde hair that was pulled up in a high ponytail and one bright blue eye gleaming out at her, the other was hidden in his bangs. "What's your name sweetie? Gotta say you look good in my clothes, hmm." He winked at her and kicked his feet up.  
Over in the corner, Kisame rolled his eyes; clearly this guy did this kinda stuff often.

"Kagame Kyra," she whispered, lowering her gaze in intimidation.

"Pretty."

"Deidara that's enough!" said the man sitting next to him. His body appeared to be a dome like he was really hunched over and his face was covered in a mask. "How could you possibly see a hint of true beauty in such a petrified bag of bones?"

"Hmm…from what I've heard her and I have similar tastes in art. Utter destruction and a sheer explosion that lasts only a second, true beauty Sasori my man. She understands it."

Kyra glanced up at Itachi, hoping to plead with him but his eyes failed to meet with hers and she couldn't stare for too long, not with everyone watching her so intently. Her eyes darted over to Kisame, perhaps he could be helpful, for once, but the shark man was having too much fun watching Kyra squirm under the pressure.

While Deidara and the other man who was called Sasori argued back and forth, Kyra brought her attention to the other two men who sat quietly and stared at her. One of them had most of his face covered, and his eyes were almost as freaky as the leader Pein's were. As he adjusted his sleeves, Kyra noticed the stitching on his forearms, what was that? She wondered.

"What are you staring at you little runt?" he said in a deep, gravelly voice that made her insides coil. She didn't even realize she was stepping backwards until the final man started to chuckle. "She's the big weapon of mass destruction? Ha! Fucking pathetic!" he shot up and stomped over to her. Kyra could feel the electricity surging up inside of her to her defense. It all gathered in the center point of the circular plate and charged out just as the man confronted her. The current shot out in a clean stream of pure white static, stabbing the man right in the gut and spreading outwards on both sides until he was completely bisected. She expected there to be more panic, she just killed a man! However nobody seemed to care much about that. The masked man rose to his feet and kicked the body that bled out on the floor. "What have you learned Hidan?"

"FUCK YOU KAKUZU! JUST WAIT TILL I'M PUT BACK TOGETHER THAT LITTLE C**T IS GONNA WISH SHE'D NEVER BEEN BORN!" Hidan roared, making Kyra take another step back, her eyes wide like a deer, her heart pounding in her chest. He was still alive? _How? She just cut him in half!_ There's no way he could still be alive! Kyra began to hyperventilate as more power attracted to the conductors on her body. _No. No. Please don't do this_.

Kakuzu reached out an arm and advanced on her. She had no idea if he meant her any harm but the static emerged from her regardless and gave him a good zap with enough force to knock him down. "Why you!" he snarled, recovering quickly enough to charge for her this time, his eyes filled with rage. Kyra let out a wail as another bolt escaped from her chest, burning a hole in her shirt and throwing her backwards to crash into the wall. Her head collided with the stone and everything went black as she collapsed to the ground with a very loud _thud!_

"Wake up, Kyra."

Itachi glanced absentmindedly at the rock face of the wall beside her bed, watching nothing in particular. It had been a whole day since she'd been knocked out from… well he was still trying to put that part together. Since she was a walking, talking, living and functionally breathing person – Itachi had merely been under the assumption that she had some sort of control of her power, at least on _some_ level. At the very least. Now he knew not to jump to such guesses after all. The ravenette sighed softly, running a hand through his long bangs and leaning back in his chair. There had been plenty of explaining to do, for when she had hit the wall Itachi had, again, been under the assumption that it had been Kazuku's doing. So he'd trapped him under a genjutsu until he had time to sort things out, and by that time Pein had arrived with Konan. He was now entirely responsible for Kyra. That much was a given, but Pein should have done his research before sending them out on that god forsaken mission to begin with. How was this, in any way, his fault? If anything, he would say that his 'leader' was explosively overreacting. 'She still hasn't woken up, let alone moved all that much.' Despite the undoings of her power and her unfortunate collision with the wall, seeing her on the bed like this had pulled at his heartstrings for far too long. He couldn't let himself be affected like this, he was running on a clock and time was steadily counting down…

"Kyra." Impatient and tired of waiting, Itachi raised two fingers and flicked her forehead lightly while she slept. When she stirred and opened her eyes, looking over to him, he again suppressed another smile at her doe-like expression.

_Onii-san!_

"Why didn't you tell me?" Suppressing the urge to ask how she was feeling, he knew he couldn't break composure. Not in front of her. "You can't control it. At all. They want you out." He narrowed his onyx eyes, watching her expression as she said she'd rather leave regardless. "Well, that's not going to happen. You and I are training, today. I think I've figured out a way to suppress that enormous amount of energy…" He trailed off, grabbing a glass of water off the table at her side and passing it over to her frail little form. "Drink up, it'll help."

Kyra never felt so, well, thrilled when Itachi said the words "they want you out." But her discomfort returned when he said they'd be training. While learning how to control this power of hers was something she'd yearned for, she didn't want to be anywhere near this group.

"Just let me leave then!" Kyra sat up and flung her arm, sending the glass of water Itachi had offered flying across the room. "Why do you want me to stay in this stupid organization anyway? I know why Pein did! He thinks I'm a weapon to use at his own leisure! It's why I was built I'm used to that! But you made me believe I had a purpose in life and I was a damn fool to listen anything you said to me! I forgot about the purpose I was given long ago! I was supposed to be the ultimate weapon for the Land of Lightning! That's why my father did this to me, that's why he stuck these things in my body and that's why you came after me in the first place. That's all anyone ever wants me for, my power, my great power that brings down nations! You think I want this?" She was furious now, but her power stayed subsided within her, for she felt no danger with Itachi…not yet. She flew her fist in his direction, not thinking, he'd catch it instantly.

"You said I had a purpose here but you lied to me! You're just like everyone else, you just want to use me!" she could have kept yelling but as she faced Itachi's red eyes, she silenced. His hold around her fist grew tighter, but he remained composed. Kyra was terrified on the inside but she didn't dare show it. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction, so she stared him down and waited.

**A/N: Please R&R! I always appreciate feedback :D**


	4. Sealed

He hadn't expected her to be entirely calm, but when she threw the glass from his hand and began screaming her case, the elder Uchiha remained stoic. He had promised her security and safety here, under his protection, and he'd already broken that promise. His ninja way was to always stick to his word, no matter what. So when she reached out and tried to punch him, Itachi grabbed her fist and kept it under her control as she made eye contact with him. An over-abuser of the Sharingan, a true Uchiha, would enter her into a genjutsu or speak of power. He knew this because he knew his family lineage better than most of them had.

But Itachi Uchiha was not an Uchiha; he was a ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Therefore he laid outside of his clan's notions on behaviour. He gently let go of her hand and stood up abruptly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small leather fold. As he sat himself back down very calmly, he grasped her clenched hand again but instead of gripping it to stop her from punching once more, Itachi simply held it in his own. "Forgive me, Kyra. I feel like I've let you down on my promise. But rest assured, as long as I'm here, no harm will come to you. Nobody will lay a finger on you, ever." She was scared and alone, abandoned by the family and place she had once dared to call her home. Itachi understood that all too well. Pulling out the fold with his other hand, he flipped the card open to reveal a small picture embedded in the plastic sleeve. He showed it to her, deactivating his Sharingan to reveal his true ebony orbs.

"This is my brother." A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he handed her the picture, watching her expression as she looked upon it. It was the day Sasuke had been admitted to the Academy, with flying colours no doubt, and he sat upon a younger Itachi's shoulders while the two boys beamed happily. "My reason for existing still. He gave me everything and in exchange, I…" The great Uchiha Itachi was barely ever at a loss of words, but he hadn't spoken truly of his brother in a great deal of time. "He depended on me and in the end I broke his heart. I trust he's out there somewhere, despising me, wishing to end my life as soon as possible." A sad smile then found his way across his face as he brushed her hand back and forth with the surface of his thumb.

"Whatever your family has done to you, whatever the reason you were in the state you were when I found you… you were alive. That says something in itself." He locked in on her gaze now, leaning in ever-so-slightly. "You still have love in your heart, and so do I. We are human."

Kyra stared down at the picture of a much younger Itachi and a little boy smiling on his shoulders. It brought back painful and unwanted memories of her own brother Edo, her old life before she was cast away. She took her hand out from Itachi's, returning the picture back to him. What could he have possibly done to his brother? She wanted to ask him more, but decided it wasn't her business.

She disagreed with him on one thing though: he said they were both human. He was, she could see that easily as he lost his words thinking about his brother, he looked as if he could cry but would always remain in his forever-composed manner. Kyra on the other hand, was not human and it was this she would show. She might have been once before but now, she was nothing.

"You're wrong Itachi," she whispered, swinging her legs off her bed and rising up. With her back to him and her heart pounding she grabbed the bottom of the loose shirt that draped over her figure and pulled it up over her head, showing him what she really was. The metal receiver started from her tailbone but protruded from her skin around the middle of her back and curved like her actual spine up to her neck. Four other poles were also embedded in her shoulders to hold the circle plate on her chest in place. Holding the shirt to cover her chest she faced him once again, jumping back briefly in her stance when she realized he was right in front of her.

She gulped, taking his hand and placing it on the metal plate. "I'm nothing, I'm no one, just a monster" she quoted the very words her father said to her the day he threw her to the wilderness. Kyra could have broken down and cried but she kept herself strong as she flushed under Itachi's hand. Feeling more flustered she and feeling herself go beat as she realized the only thing concealing her half-naked self was the shirt she held so carelessly against her. Dropping his wrist, she turned back around and threw the shirt on again letting it dangle loosely from her frame. Her head turned only a bit, revealing half of her face. Kyra could scarcely believe what she'd just shown him, she allowed herself to be completely vulnerable to him just as he had done when he showed her that picture.

Perhaps they were both broken in their own ways. Physically, Itachi was strong and in Kyra's eyes perfect. But beneath it he was broken too, just on the inside. He wasn't a grotesque like her. "I'll train with you sensei," Kyra agreed, mostly because she knew he wouldn't give her any other choice, she was stuck with him. But she vowed to herself, she wouldn't be played as pawn for this organization. As far as she cared, she was Itachi's student and nothing else. Her loyalty would only lie with him.

Revealing your soul to someone was one thing, but revealing one's body was something else entirely. Itachi had no words for what he'd seen of her. The fact that she'd trusted him enough with this secret had meant more than anything he could have ever said or done as the man he was. If he were to ever meet the man that would destroy the life of such a beautiful, independent woman, his wrath would be elongated and incredibly painful. For Itachi spared no expense for those who were deserving under his code. The metal she had moved his hand to touch was cold and he could feel the small vibrations from it at his fingertips, noticed the implacable blush that had stained her cheek, and for a brief moment he was reminded of simpler times. Outside of the Akatsuki, if the Uchiha had never revolted, he would have liked to be with someone as confident and strong as her. But his current circumstance would never allow such feelings, and his life was riding on a clock. She deserved life with someone who could be there. Closing his eyes, the Uchiha rose from his seat and placed a hand on her head. A simple gesture, but the only one he could bring himself to enact at the present moment. The gravity of what had just occurred was still weighing heavily on his shoulders. Nobody had trusted him with something so severe, so he wasn't quite sure how else to react. His hand rested there, and without words he thanked her for what he'd been shown. "Come, let's go."

Outside the temple in which the Akatsuki lay, Itachi removed his cloak as he stood across from Kyra. She was skeptical and unsure that he could do anything for her, but she lacked knowledge as to who he really was. She didn't know the bounds of his strength, his intelligence. Itachi had put together how to control the overwhelming power before he'd even saw her, for puzzles like this were his specialty. Wearing only a black t-shirt and matching black trousers, Itachi flexed his ring finger at his side and watched her expression closely. A large blank scroll rested at his feet.

"I'm going to make you angry. Do not be scared. Let the power come to you. And I'm sorry for this, but don't be scared." he added, closing his eyes and forming five hand-signs. His figure disappeared in a flurry of crows that cawed and squawked angrily. He appeared behind her and slammed an elbow into her side, then placed his hand on her shoulder to throw her into the ground. When he saw the electrical static burst forth from her figure and the chakra that surrounded it began to rage, he preformed four more seals and stayed solitary as a burst of electricity came surging towards him.

"Susano'o."

A great roaring echoed through the field and Itachi opened his eyes. A trail of blood leaked from his Sharingan as the giant, orange samurai formed behind him with all the rage and power the Uchiha's were so well known for. Wind howled angrily as his massive energy took shape, and he noticed the stunned expression on Kyra's face through the wicked waves of static. The blade from Susano'o blocked the electrical attack with ease, and Itachi moved forward towards her figure. She was exploding with power and if it weren't for his samurai, he'd be entirely burnt by now. She looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes, staring at the blood that trickled down his face, but Itachi remained silent. "Four-Prong Seal: Demon Style." He mumbled, biting into his thumb to draw blood and thrusting his palms down upon the metal plate he'd felt. There was an explosion of power and Itachi struggled to keep his hands still on the plate as the sealed formed. The aura from his chakra and her own created a purple sphere around them as he forced down the static, wincing slightly at the force it put on his form despite Susano'o. He was sure this would work, at least for the first portion of their training. He would gain control of her releases, and he alone would be able to unleash the wicked force of her receptors. The kanji from the seal ran down the metal plate and across her chest, shrinking the enormous sphere around them as it flew across her body. With a few minutes of pressure, the seal was completed. Her energy disappeared, and the key to unlock the seal formed on the scroll he'd laid out prior to their engagement.

Deactivating Susano'o, he wiped the blood from his face and condensation that had formed on his brow. Surprisingly, he was exhausted. That was more power than he'd ever felt in his life, more than the energy from the Kyuubi he'd seen almost sixteen years ago. He staggered a little and fell to one knee, ragged breaths rocking his chest as he stared down at the black markings on her outward plate.

"Step one is complete. Now, we have to..." His vision grew temporarily blurry, and Itachi reached up to grab at his right eye. His body was pulsing, an after-effect that he'd expected, but the loss of vision was growing increasingly problematic. Itachi huffed and wiped at his eyes, gripping at the dirt below him with his free hand. This wasn't good, but at least his plan had worked.

Kyra lay petrified in the grass. Her legs shook but she couldn't seem to get them to move in any other way. Her chest rose and fell in a heavy consistency as she tried catching her breath. What was that thing? And what did it do to her power? She no longer felt the constant weight of it anymore. Did he take it all? Was she now rendered completely helpless? Kyra wanted control over her power, but she didn't want it gone. Now staring at the metal plate in her chest that was in plain sight due to the extremely low cut shirt Tobi bought her, Kyra noticed the black sealing marks around the disc. During her fight with Itachi, everything went blank in her head, her power completely took over and the next thing she knew she was in this position and Itachi was standing over her.  
Blood leaked out from his eye and streaked down his cheek. What the hell happened? Did she do this to him? Itachi was breathing almost as heavily as she was and wiped the blood away before he suddenly collapsed to one knee and arched over, holding his eye. His hand planted in the dirt next to her head, his face was so close to hers, she could feel each breath he released against her face.

_You're nothing. You're no only purpose is to destroy.__ It's your sole reason for existing._

Water welled up in her eyes and she allowed herself to let it fall down her face. She hurt him. It must have been her. Seeing her father's words come to life she rolled onto her stomach and clambered to her knees, tears flooding her face.

"Itachi-sensei I'm so sorry!" she cried wrapping her arms around him. She expected him to instantly revolt just as everyone else did, but as she held onto him for what felt like hours, she realized he wasn't going to push her away. She finally took it upon herself to release her sensei and sat back on her knees, wiping any tears off her face.

Kyra couldn't deny the fact that she cared for her sensei, nor could she deny that she cared for him more than a student should care for her teacher. She wouldn't ever hurt Itachi again, for Kyra would rather die. Uchiha Itachi had given her a reason to live, he gave her a purpose after everyone else cast her away. He was the only one who didn't look at her with disgust or interest in her power. _He treats me like a person._ Kyra gulped as a voice in the back of her head uttered the most terrifying and undeniable truth.

_You don't love him do you?  
_

**A/N: So I'm glad there's people that like this :) Hope you like the chapter. R&R. Thank you!**


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